The death toll from widespread flooding and devastation caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has risen to at least 114, with 127 others reported missing, officials say.
Most of the deaths were reported in the central province of Cebu, which was pummelled by Kalmaegi on Tuesday.
At least 71 people died in Cebu, mostly due to drownings, 65 others were reported missing and 69 injured, the Office of Civil Defense said.
It added that 62 others were reported missing in the central province of Negros Occidental, which is located near Cebu.
When Kalmaegi struck Cebu, a bustling province of more than 2.4 million people, it was still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30 that left at least 79 people dead and displaced thousands.
'Devastation is all over the city'
World Vision Philippines spokeperson Lucille Latonio was in Mandaue city in Cebu when Kalmaegi hit.
She told the ABC that water was pouring in everywhere, and she was scared to go out.
"There was nothing we could do, the wind was strong and we could hear debris flying and hitting our roof," she said.
"It was one for the books. It was really very devastating and heartbreaking to see the magnitude and the scale of the damage."
"The devastation is all over the city," she said.
"A lot of people have been affected, a lot of people have lost their homes."
She said help was needed with search and rescue and rebuilding.
Before Kalmaegi's landfall, officials said more than 387,000 people had evacuated to safer ground in eastern and central Philippine provinces.
Ferries and fishing boats were prohibited from venturing out to increasingly rough seas, and at least 186 domestic flights were cancelled.
The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year.
It is also often hit by earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
Typhoon heads towards Vietnam
Kalmaegi moved into the South China Sea and was barrelling toward Vietnam, according to forecasters.
It has been forecast to gain strength while over the South China Sea.
China has warned of a "catastrophic wave process" in the South China Sea and has activated maritime disaster emergency response in its southernmost province of Hainan, state broadcaster CCTV said.
In Vietnam, preparations are underway ahead of the typhoon's expected landfall on Friday.
Central Vietnam, still reeling from days of record rain that triggered flash floods and landslides, was bracing for more pounding rain as Kalmaegi nears.
Fishing boats returned to shore while local authorities readied evacuation plans, secured shelters and stockpiled food, state media reported.
ABC/Wires
